


Rescuing Baby Howell

by orphan_account



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Exotic Dancer!Dan, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Manipulation, Neglect, Prostitution, Suicidal Thoughts, mentions of recreational drug use, policeman!Phil, self hatred, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-03-07 17:58:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13440180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Baby Howell is the youngest exotic dancer here at Blue Feather. Baby is abused and mistreated except he doesn’t know any different. Baby can’t even remember his own name.Phil Lester is a policeman who is desperate to be a detective. When he gets the chance to go undercover and prove himself. Phil has to find out where a child that went missing four years ago, a child called Daniel Howell. After a tip off that there is a dancer at The Blue Feather who fits Daniels's description, Phil is thrown into a very different world. This might not be as easy as the thought.





	1. Prologue

**Four Years Ago**

“Spare change please, can you spare any change?” He asked quietly, holding a small pot out to the few pedestrians that walked quickly away from him like he was diseased. He sighed, lowering the pot back down to the wet gravel beneath him and pulled his knees upto his chest. It’s not like he asked for this life, his parents were drug dealers and did a ‘midnight flit’ leaving the boy in their home overnight only for the police to come and raid the property. He broke out through his bedroom window, using the conservatory roof as a step to lower himself down to the ground. He ran and never looked back. 

Now, here he sat. Cold, wet and alone as he used a hood as the only barrier between him and the blustery wind that threatened to give him pneumonia. This was his fifth night sleeping rough and he hadn’t actually eaten in seven days. He felt dizzy and sick as he drank rainwater out of his little money pot just as an attempt to remain hydrated. The boy could count how many times a pedestrian actually gave him spare change on one hand, all one and two pence coins that wouldn’t be able to buy him anything. He had to accept that this was his new life. 

His parents? Gone. His home? Gone. His desire to live? Fucking obliterated. 

This was his knew _reality_ , his everyday life that he would only escape by death. He was sixteen years old after all which meant that even if he went into care he wouldn’t get adopted easily. Nobody wanted a sixteen year old, depressed, waste-of-space of a child like him. Two years in the care system with a bunch of other unwanted kids until he was old enough to get emergency housing and benefits paid by the tax payers of England. You’d think that he would prefer that to being homeless and starving wouldn’t you? Yeah well, he just wants to die. The quicker the better.

He felt his fingertips grow numb as the light shifted to darkness, the rain drops belting him like bullets as he burrowed further into his hoodie. He didn’t have anything with him: no blankets, no money and not even any shoes on his feet. The poor boy was scared every time night fell, afraid that someone was going to hit him, rape him or torture him. The thing about death was that it was final, and he didn’t need to worry about being inconvenienced by healing times or infections to wounds.

Eyes began to droop as his muscles contracted and relaxed, arms flopping briefly before he caught them and stiffened up again. He was so desperate to sleep. When a shadow danced beneath the streetlight only a few feet away, the boy knew someone was coming. He woke quickly, all traces of fatigue leaving his body as he got ready for anything that was about to happen. He kept his eyes low, focussed on his soaked socked feet, freezing and threatening to do more damage than good. The man came closer, and closer, until he knelt down in front of the homeless boy. “What are you doing out here?” The man asked softly, his voice reminding the boy of velvet or smooth melted chocolate. The boy looked up to find a pair of green eyes sheilded by peach skin and ginger eyebrows and hair. The man was young, late twenties maybe? “Why don’t you come have something to eat and drink? You must be starving. I saw a twenty-four-Hour McDonalds nearby”. That was the opportune moment for the boy’s stomach to growl viciously. Against his better judgement, he went with the man. 

What’s the worst that could happen?


	2. Chapter One: Monotony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am so sorry you waited over a month for this!!   
> I hope you like it though! 
> 
> Dominic  
> alphalester.tumblr.com

**Present Day**

Buzzing. That bloody buzzing. I groaned as I turned over in my bed, tapping blindly at my phone screen to dismiss my alarm. Blinking a few times, I proceeded to yawn and stretch my arms high above my head as I looked to the blanket of dust that was occupying my dresser beneath my phone. I cringed, _I really need to clean this place when I get home tonight_. 

Eventually, I’m out of bed and standing beneath the heavy jets of my shower, the hot water scolding my skin the way it did everyday. The steam from the heat opening my pores and clearing my sinuses as I scrubbed at my scalp, shampoo dangerously coming close to my eyes.. just the same as every other day. Rinse, wash, repeat. Scrub body and moisturise. Wash face, dab with cold water once i’m out of the shower and brush teeth. As usual. I sighed louder than necessary considering I was the only one here and dabbed haphazardly at my body. Deodorant, get dressed in my neatly ironed police uniform and straighten my fringe. 

I perched on the couch to stuff my cereal in my mouth, resting my bowl in a weird gap I had created by folding my feet up to my chest as my feet rested on the seat. Of course I managed to spill some milk on my uniform when I went to check the time on my phone, prompting me to sigh once again before dumping my bowl in the kitchen sink for me to worry about later and rushing out the door. 

\- - - 

“Ah, Lester!” Detective Burns grinned, turning to face me with a huge stack of papers and cases to work through. It was a Monday, which meant I had seven days to get through it all. Even less than that if I wanted a day off. I plastered my all-too-familiar fake smile on my face and accepted the workload, it’s not exactly like I minded. I had worked so incredibly hard to get to this point; I’ve been a policeman for four years and I have been enthusiastic about my job the entire time. I just long for more. I want, more than anything, to be a detective. I want to put my heart and soul into one case, get into psychopath and sociopath’s minds and really figure out what makes them tick. I want to really help people get closure and regain the strength they once lost.

I sat down at my desk, planting down my folders and files that were going to continue to fill the space until I had finished every pain staking detail of them and the cases are dealt with to the best of my ability. I immediately got to work, skimming through the files to see what I could get done and out of the way straight away. I couldn’t help but grin when one of the constables brought me a mug of coffee. It wasn’t everyday that us lower ranked policemen had desks in the offices at the stations but I was in line for a promotion...well.. I hope. I went out and did my field work but would return back to the safety of my three little make-shift walls of my cubicle that had photos of my parents and my brother with his girlfriend pinned to it, along with little doodles of cacti amongst my important work phone numbers and things of course. 

I worked for a long time, granted I had nothing to get home to besides cleaning and a movie marathon whilst I eat pizza, and I finished around six in the evening. This happened every single goddamn day. I unlocked the door to my flat, locking it immediately once I were inside and dumping my key beside the door so I didn’t accidentally lock myself out in the morning. I decided to ignore cleaning and responsibilities and just proceed with the mindless, brain washing movie marathon that I barely paid attention to. I went to bed feeling just as stuck as I had everyday for the past year. 

I slept, dreams of becoming a detective flowing freely in my mind.


	3. Chapter Two: Chosen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DI - Detective Inspector (Almost Highest Rank)  
> DS - Detective Sargeant (Below Almost Highest)

I got to work with plenty of time to spare this morning, having decided to stop at the Starbucks near my house on the way to work today. I sipped carefully at the scolding hot pumpkin spice latte as I walked through to my desk; ready to proceed with the humongous pile of files I had been given yesterday. I sat down and sighed softly as I cracked my knuckles and wiggled my fingers, part of a ritual that I find helps get me into the ‘work’ mindset. Except as soon as I pressed the first key of the keyboard I was interrupted.

“Lester, can you come with us” Detective Burns said coldly, two fellow officers trailing behind him as he walked towards his larger, more impressive office. Detective Burns had glass walls and windows that looked out into the city. He had a slightly disgusting blue carpet with pointless patterns on which always reminded me of the seats on the bus or the tube. I followed my boss into his office like a little puppy, he generally left me to get on with my work unless he wanted a progress report. Maybe that was it?

“How would you like to try something new, Lester?” DS Yazmin Pyke smiled, she was young with black hair neatly styled into a bun and rich ebony skin that was completely wrinkle and blemish free. I couldn’t help but feel that she made Detective Burns look older, his blonde hair now mostly full of greys and face had more lines than a sheet of lined paper. He was getting on a bit though, no offence to him. I nodded dumbly when I realised they were both staring at me, albeit confused by what it could possibly be. 

“We want a fresh set of eyes on this case, Constable. I feel like you can handle it. I would like for you to be a Detective Sargeant on this case..” he paused, sipping at his coffee and gasping a little before finishing his sentence. “If you’re feeling up to it, of course”. I beamed, finally I was getting my chance. My blood was rushing through my body with excitement as my fingers started to tingle. “Sir, I believe I could, to the best of my ability” I replied, grinning like an idiot which must have exuded confidence. Detective Burns nodded to his DS, who smiled as she turned to me once more. “Alright, Phil. For this you’ll be working beneath me. I shall be lead Detective Inspector for this case, you shall be my Detective Sargeant.” DS Pyke grinned, her white teeth shining like beautiful pearls as they caught my attention. “Think of it as if we both had a promotion”. 

“Right, so the case we’re tasking you with” DI Burns said, turning around to the filing cabinet to collect a folder. He layed it on the desk and opened the cover, revealing a photograph of a ... night club? It was very modern in design, glass walls and curved edged rather than corners. There were quite clearly thick ceiling-to-floor curtains lining the windows and the neon blue light on the top centre of the building stood out flawlessly. _Blue Feather_  
“Four years ago, we had a child go missing under the name of Daniel James Howell” DS Pyke spoke softly, her voice conveying an emotion that most policemen or women didn’t have.  
“We have had a tip-off that Daniel may have been sold to the owner of this establishment as a sex worker” Yazmin’s teeth clenched together at the end of the sentence. She took a moment before continuing.  
“We need to find Daniel, because the tip-off we had informed us that he may be being abused by the owner and forced to be a sex worker because he has no other choice. Normally we would just shut it down”. 

“But we need you now, Lester” DI Burns spoke, “We can’t immediately shut it down for reasons from my superiors which pisses me off. But we need you to find Daniel. If it is him, he should be aged twenty or twenty one. Brown eyes and hair with a tall, slim build”. 

I nodded, this wasn’t what I was expecting. It would be dangerous, the man pimping out his sex workers clearly used Blue Feather as a base, appearing as a night club rather than a brothel that would get closed immediately. I could do this, I could find Daniel Howell.


	4. Chapter Three: The Blue Feather

I arrived at the club and my breath was taken away immediately. Now that I was here I was so nervous, I knew what I had to do.. but doing it was so nerve wracking. I never expected my first case as a Detective Sargent to be finding a missing person in a night club but here we were. I entered through the large glass doors and walked into the small entryway. It was dark, with a floor that looked like marble with tiny specks of glitter in it and large ceiling to floor curtains that looked incredibly heavy. In front of me were two sets of stairs, one that went up and one that went down. I blinked dumbly for a moment trying to decide which set of stairs to take. 

That was when I noticed the beautiful lady who was standing next to a single booth, she approached me slowly which gave me time to think about what she were possibly going to say to me. Her hair was blood red, styled in ringlets that were tied into a single ponytail. I also realized she was wearing a white vest top beneath a white translucent shirt that was buttoned up to just beneath her breasts that were made more prominent from the black elastic belt cinching her waist. She was also wearing tight leather trousers with knee high suede boots with high heels that made her almost as tall as me. When she finally got to me, she smirked. 

"Men or Women?" She asked, voice low and sultry. I thought for a minute, remembering my case of finding Daniel Howell and why I was even in this club tonight. I swallowed and forced myself to relax under her heavy gaze. 

"Men" I said with a gentle smile. The woman sighed and pouted her rouged lips, pointing upwards towards the top set of stairs. I smiled, thanking her and took the stairs two at a time. I heard the music thumping heavily as I reached the top of the stairwell. A shirtless man with defined muscles and ultra tight black jeans met me, a grin on his lips as he studied me. I swallowed dryly just looking at him, he had short messy brown hair and hazel eyes and was goddamn beautiful.  
"Well, Stephanie will be sad you're on our team" he chuckled, "i'm incredibly pleased, you'll get eaten alive in there" he walked towards me, stopping right beside my ear and whispered; his breath tickling the shell of my ear. 

"Good luck, handsome" he pulled away, winking at me before pulling open a door. I blushed unable to help myself. I walked into the room, closing my eyes and taking a few deep breaths to relax myself. I was here for work not pleasure.  
When I opened my eyes the room was crazy. There were booths all around the room with curtains surrounding them, curtains were open for empty booths and those that were occupied were closed. I headed over to the bar and got a beer, deciding to take it very slowly seeing as I was working right now. I took a seat on the bar stool and sipped my beverage slowly, taking in the atmosphere. I felt a tap on my back.

"Hey there, I've not seen you here before" 

I turned around to look at the man in front of me. He's a little older than me but I couldn't exactly figure out how much older. He had ginger hair styled into a top bun with shaved back and sides, his beard clean and obviously maintained well. His vivid green eyes boring into me as I stared on, much like I had done earlier with the beautiful girl by the front door. 

"I'm new here, I heard you have a really hot male dancer here, but I forgot his name" I said with a smirk; proceeding to take a sip of my beer. The man looked happy with my answer and walked towards me, throwing his arm around my shoulder. I went to shake him off but my attention was brought to one of the waiters standing about a foot behind him, their eyes wide as they shook their head and their hand gestured to and from their neck. 

The ginger man grinned, proceeding to ask the bar tender for another beer on my behalf. I was about to say something such as 'thanks but you're not my type' which was when I realized that he didn't pay for my beer. He was either a regular who had a tab or he was someone influential within the club. 

"I'm glad that my dancers have such a good reputation" he chuckled, "I shall have to let you make up your mind about my dancers. I'm sure they'd love you" after a moment of thought, he continued. "I don't normally do this, but you should come back tomorrow evening and spend time with each of my dancers. Perhaps that way you can find the one you came here looking for?". I smiled, thanking him immensely before he left. I returned my attention to the bar tender who was eyeing me cautiously.

"Just to let you know, he does that with everyone even though he says he doesn't" the bar tender stated, leaning down on the counter top and giving me his undivided attention. "You're young and cute, so the dancers will like you. May even fight for your attention" he laughed. 

I stayed for the rest of the time it took me to finish my two beers. I scoped out the other patrons and tried to get a feel for the place. If I were to find someone here I needed to know the place inside and out. I decided that when I returned tomorrow, I was going to really take note of each individual dancer and make sure I had notes about them all. 

It may have been fun and games tonight, but I _will_ find Daniel Howell 


	5. Chapter Four: Baby

I woke up late, deciding that because I was going to be out until god only knows when that I may as well rest now. I dragged my ass to the kitchen and ate three bowls of cereal, simply letting my vision glaze over as I focused on a spot of dust on the screen of the television for most of the day. It wasn't exactly like I had people to see or things to do beside work anyway. Eventually I showered and got dressed, grabbing the keys from the hook and heading back to The Blue Feather a little earlier than he had the night before, just after opening time to be precise. 

I felt grateful when I found a familiar man with ginger hair and vibrant green eyes waiting for me at the front entrance; at least it meant I wouldn't have to suffer through the awkward encounter of trying to sound like I were expected here but unsure of the actual plans. I confidently shook the man's large, callus hand and was immediately lead back up that familiar staircase that now felt safer beneath my feet now that I knew what would be awaiting me at the top. When I reached the door at the top of the stairs my breath felt like it had been knocked out of me as I was met by something I hadn't quite expected. What appeared to be all of the male dancers were standing in front of me, in a single line with a soft smile on their faces as if to appear welcoming rather than predatory. There must have been about eleven of them with very different body types and appearances. I couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable really, with so many eyes on me it felt as if they were all expecting someone far better, or far worse. What kinds of people were these dancers used to dealing with?

The ginger man grinned, putting his hand on the base of my back before licking his lips. "Well, Sir. Would you like time with each of them? Or do you have a 'type'". I swallowed thickly, despite the lonely part of me which wanted to spend time with each of them just to actually have human interaction, I had a job to do. With a single shake of my head the thought flew from my mind before I could dwell on it; turning to smile as confidently as I could in the situation. "Just the brunettes, Please". The man eyed me suspiciously for a moment before nodding across to a single booth in the corner, two of the dancers stepping forward to intertwine our arms together as they proceeded to walk me across the room. I took note of all the possible exits and entrances just in case i would need them for any reason; also taking note of where the toilets were and creating a small floor plan within my mind, which luckily was something I had grown accustomed to over the years in the police force.

I sat down in the plush booth and smiled to myself for a moment, this was a situation I never expected to find myself in. I was a lot closer to finding Daniel and I was hoping I would find him today. How would I know which one was him though? I mean.. Brown hair and brown eyes is sort of.. generic if you know what I mean? There's a lot of people with that combination and I didn't have much else to go on beside the fact he's still quite young. I blinked when I realized the two dancers who escorted me to the booth sat either side of me. I felt strangely comfortable with the two of them, they were smiling happily and the curtains either side of the booth were left open which made me feel safer knowing everyone could see if anything happened. I looked to the first guy, who was sitting with one leg crossed over the other and leaning his elbow on the table. The other guy was sat exactly the same on the other side. I let myself relax on the seat, trying to slip into the roll of a guy with a genuine interest in meeting all of the dancers rather than a policeman. 

After a few hours, I had seen most of the dancers. They were all very confused at the fact that I wanted to chat to them instead of letting them give me a lap dance privately in the booth but seemed a little relieved. It wasn't until I met the final dancer that I knew this was the one. He hadn't been in the line when I had first got here and perhaps that was for the best. His eyes were brown but they had flecks of gold that couldn't help but grab my attention. He was definitely the smallest of them all; he also seemed a little presumptuous in the fact that he shut the curtains on both sides as he entered my booth and chose to sit on the table directly in front of me with his legs open wide enough that I could fit between them if I stood. I couldn't help but feel my breath hitch as I looked up at him. 

"I hear you summoned me" the dancer winked, leaning back on his arms as he took in my appearance. "I'm Baby" he continued, making my eyebrows furrow a little in confusion. Baby? Was he serious right now? All of the other dancers had given me actual names, like Joel and Peter.. so was this a coping mechanism? I stored this information for later and smiled at him, attempting to get on his level a little by relaxing my posture once again, my legs falling open and a smirk comes onto my face naturally. "I'm Phil" I said, despite this being different to how I reacted to all the other dancers, this seemed to be working well on 'baby'. 

With a smirk, Baby moved forward on the table. Reaching forward and gingerly placing his left hand to tangle in my hair. He chuckled softly then, appearing younger than he had mere moments ago. "I like your hair, Phil. It's really soft" there was a soft smile on his face and he seemed to forget himself for a moment. Suddenly, there was a change. His smile turned into a smirk as he pulled on the fistful of my hair that he still had a hold of and looked me in the eye. I bit down on my bottom lip as to stop me squealing from shock; this wasn't something that had happened with any of the other dancers. When Baby released his hold on me, he cringed as if he were trying to fight his own thoughts before asking me something new. 

"So, Phil. Why didn't you want a dance from any of the other brunette guys? I heard you had a type" he winked, "Or had you heard about my other services". I held my breath for a moment, trying to think of the way to deal with this. I had only just realized that the music within the club had come to an end and the neon lights had stopped. Baby must have realized to because he immediately whispered "fuck" before his face looked fearful. "Please forgive me, I will explain in a minute" he whispered once again, climbing off of the table and onto my lap, he unbuttoned a few of my shirt buttons which exposed my neck and he started kissing it. His soft, plush lips reassuring against the sensitive skin of my neck, making my breath hitch and I felt the familiar spark of arousal ignite in the base of my spine. "Fuck" I said as I threw my head back, just as the booth curtain opened abruptly. 

"Oh, I should have knocked, I'm sorry" the familiar voice sounded. I looked up to find the ginger man who invited me to see the dancers grinning down at me. "I am shutting the club now, but feel free to continue this elsewhere if you know what I mean". 

When he left, Baby dived away from me, eyes wide as his hands fumbled to do up the buttons of my shirt that he'd previously undone. "I'm sorry, Phil but we need to leave right now okay?" dragging me by the hand out of the booth and through the main door of the building. I had no idea what was happening or where we were even going but one thing I did know, was that it was rather nice having Baby hold my hand. 


	6. Chapter Five: Where Do We Go From Here?

We ran as quick as possible, something that luckily i'd grown accustomed to working in the police force. Baby had a strong grip on my hand as we charged down one of the staircases that was hidden behind a door labelled 'Employees Only'. I was confused as to why exactly we were running, though I was still confused as to why Baby had straddled me and kissed my neck when he thought someone was coming. I tried to concentrate on the 'here and now', on the feeling of Baby's warm hand intertwined with mine and the sound of our rushed footsteps echoing through the stairwell. We only stopped running when we reached a fire exit. 

"Okay, Phil wasn't it?" Baby asked, voice hushed as he looked up at me. I nodded quickly in response as he smiled a small smile that made my heart speed up a little. "When we get out of this door, we need to run quicker than before, okay? They can't see me alright?" I opened my mouth to respond but was met with a face full of air as the large metal door opened. In slow motion, I felt the sickly sweet taste of bile rise in my throat before time seemed to speed back up. We ran faster than we had before, something that I thought wasn't even possible. There were buildings either side of us, blocking any light that would be out here cast by street lamps or other buildings. I could see black trash bags dotted about the place too which were being ripped open by cats. 

Once we got to the end of the alley way, we turned right so quickly that i almost fell over. He pushed me against the wall with a small smile. "Thank you for not asking questions, Phil" he said quietly and I allowed a moment to really look at him. His hair was messy now, damp curls against his forehead and cheeks pink from running. He had a soft smile as his eyes flitted around my face before settling back to my eyes. He let go of my hand as we walked further into the open, a lot more distance between us than there had been a moment ago. 

We walked in silence for a long time. The sound of cars whizzing past the only thing reassuring me that this was in fact reality and not some crazy dream of mine. I walked a little slower, hoping the change in my pace would grab his attention. He turned to face me, eyes a little heavier than they had been before. He chuckled a little before slowing too. “I’m so tired, Phil” he sighed, but I don’t think he quite meant about the running. I wanted to invite him back to mine but.. what if he found out i’m a policeman?

“I need to go” he frowned, stopping in his tracks and facing me head on. I could see his inner turmoil as he looked in all directions around him. My heart skipped a beat at the thought that entered my mind, one that only came from years of being a policeman. _He didn’t have a home._

My head was hurting, wondering exactly what that meant. Was that why Baby ran? Insinuating he was coming home with me when he was kissing my neck? My stomach clenched as I remembered him thanking me for not asking questions. He was turning to walk away but I grabbed his hand, effectively stopping him in his tracks. I interlocked our fingers as a way of communicating that he didn’t need to leave and he smiled sadly, though I didn’t miss the way he flinched at the action. I let go, assuming i’d took it too far. 

“Do you wanna come and have something to eat? You can use my shower whilst I cook you something and then you can sleep on my sofa? It’s a bit late to be walking home alone anyway” I reasoned, trying not to sound demanding as I reeled off my plan. His eyes lit up when I said shower, he nodded and stuffed his hands into his pockets. We walked in silence for a while until we returned to my flat. If Baby saw my police uniform i’d just have to tell him I was into some kinky role play or something. 

I cringed when I opened the front door, the thick layer of dust on almost every surface clearly not the first impression I wanted to have when I was about to cook for the guy. He didn’t seem to care though, keeping his eyes low to the ground and a blush on his cheeks. I walked him through the flat immediately heading to the bathroom. Luckily I knew that was clean. I gave a quick demonstration on turning it on and adjusting the temperature before giving permission for him to use any of my shower products. That was when he smiled a full, wholehearted smile, thanking me happily before I exited the room. 

I gave the apartment a quick go over with the duster just to look a little more lived in before returning my attention to the tasks at hand. I picked out some onions and frozen chicken pieces from my freezer and popped them in the saucepan. I smiled when I heard the gentle sizzling sound which indicated it was time for me to stir and prepare the sauce. Within minutes, I had sauce bubbling away, chicken cooking and pasta boiling. I busted myself by tidying away any of my work things into the ottoman behind the sofa where I kept my spare pillows and blankets and got some of those out to set up on the sofa. The place looked much better than it had in months, though it really did need a proper clean now that i’d started. I returned to the stove and hummed softly as the scent of tomato’s, garlic and onion consumed the air. I made Baby a glass full of Ribena and setting it on the table alongside knives and forks. I put the kettle on too for either a tea or hot chocolate if he wanted one. 

It wasn’t until I had the food on the table that Baby left the bathroom, wearing clothes that I immediately recognised at my own which made me feel confused as to when he grabbed those. When we made eye contact he blushed immediately. “Y-you don’t mind, do you? I should have asked b-“ though I just shrugged him off, telling him it was fine and that I would have offered anyway. I popped his other clothes in to wash so they’d be ready for morning and we sat down to eat our meal. He gulped down the ribena in seconds, blushing once again before starting his pasta. He audibly moaned around his mouthful and the vibrations of the sound went straight to my cock, though I tried to ignore the twitch of interest. 

“Oh my god, Phil! I wasn’t expecting this at all” Baby smiled with his eyes closed, appearing to savour every mouthful. I got up from the table, making myself a cup of coffee and bringing him a cup of tea. He seemed incredibly pleased when he opened his eyes to find me sliding it across the table towards him. We didn’t talk, though I think we were both exhausted. When we finished, Baby sat on the sofa awkwardly. I put the TV on for him before returning to wash up Immediately so i wouldn’t have to worry about it tomorrow. 

Eventually, I sat down on the other side of the sofa. Baby inched closer, straddling my hips and wrapping his arms around my neck in what appeared to be a sitting down hug. “Thank you, Phil” he whispered directly into my ear which made me shiver. He planted a single kiss on my temple and my heart stopped, for a good three beats. I wrapped my arms around his waist briefly, tucking my face into his chest in the hopes of hiding my blush. Forehead kisses of any kind were my favourite. I withdrew my hands, pulling back and smiling up at him. I could see the dark bags under his eyes now, he looked so young and tired sitting on my lap. 

With a sudden surge of energy, I stood up. Lifting Baby up in my arms and giggling at his little squeak. I carried him through to my bedroom and popping him into my bed, I tucked him in and turned my back, walking back towards my bedroom door. “I’ll sleep on the sofa, you deserve the comfort” I smiled before turning to look at him once more. “Goodnight, Baby”. Just as I left the room I heard the very quiet reply. 

“Goodnight, Phil”


	7. Chapter Six: Unfamiliar Territory

I woke up in a panic brought on by weight being pressed down onto me. I blinked twice before finally my eyes focused in the heavy darkness of the night onto the figure that was pressing down onto me on the sofa. I looked at him, my eyes seeking out the fluff of curls before lowering to his eyes. He looked guilty, a sadness clearly washing over him as I struggled to sit up beneath his weight. I dumbly reached down to the floor, scrambling for my phone that I had placed there before I went to sleep and using the torch on it so i could see him properly. 

"Baby.. what're you doing?" I asked, It was now that the torch was shining closer to his face now that he had began to cry. Silent tears streaking down his cheeks at he watched me. He opened his mouth to speak before finding himself unable to find the words. I opened my arms slowly, trying to convey that I wasn't going to hurt him before he flung himself into the space I had created. He sobbed against my neck as I gently rubbed my palm over his back; I shushed him softly as my movements continued, my other hand finding the back of his head and my fingers tangling into the short curls that they found there. 

It seemed like hours before he stopped crying, not that I minded of course I just wanted him to be okay. My eye lids grew heavy but I willed them to stay open for him, he needed comfort right now and that is what I was going to give him. However, after a while his body recoiled away from me until he was standing at the foot of the sofa. He looked miserable and conflicted, I could physically feel his heartache from where I was laying. 

"I should go" he whispered, which was the last thing I expected him to say. I blinked a few times before smiling, an idea instantly forming in my mind. I wasn't going to let him leave like that in the middle of the night, he was vulnerable and anything could happen to him. I stood, stretching out my muscles that had been compressed from curling up into a ball to try and keep my long limbs on the small sofa. I walked over to him and took one hand in mine, silently leading him towards the bedroom which made his eyes perk up with interest or.. fear? I opened up the duvet, allowing him to slide in on one side and I tucked myself in to the other side. I lay on my back, only turning my face towards him so he knew I wasn't a threat. I smiled softly at the confused look on his face. He clearly thought I was going to demand sex or something from him before he left which made me shudder a little. I sort of wanted the opposite. 

"I think we should both sleep, but can I cuddle you?" I asked, my eyes never leaving his. "It was nice when we cuddled before, then when we wake up I'll make us breakfast". 

His eyes softened immediately as an even softer chuckle left his throat, what I can only assume was a blush warming his cheeks. "Isn't making breakfast the cliche thing to do after sex?" he asked, but his tone of voice was light. He wasn't afraid anymore. I smiled a wholehearted smile, one that made my tongue poke through my teeth subconsciously. "I mean, usually. But I'd rather just cuddle tonight please?" he nodded then, something glazing over his eyes briefly before whispering "if that's what you want, that's what you'll get. But I'm being the little spoon tonight". I rotated my body, curling around him slowly and tilting my pelvis away from the swell of his ass so he knew it wasn't going to lead to anything else. He sighed happily as I tucked my face into his neck. I placed a single kiss to his jaw line which I expected him to tense up at, instead he melted into my arms like butter on a hot day. 

"Night, Baby" I whispered before slipping out of consciousness once again.


	8. Chapter Seven: Gone

I woke up to a weird draft in my apartment that I certainly wasn't used to. The cool air seeping in and ghosting carelessly over the skin of my arms, small goose pimples rising to the surface in its wake. A shiver shot down my spine as I sat up, two large fists rubbing my eyes as if that was the key to waking up properly. I blinked a few times as I looked around my bedroom, trying to find what was missing. 

The bedding on the opposite side to me was splayed open as if someone had hastily left them and there were a few wet foot prints on the carpet from where someone obviously had walked after a shower. Baby must have showered this morning. 

Baby. 

Baby was what was missing. 

I frowned and walked through to the bathroom, despite the fact I already knew he'd not be in there. The shower head was dripping steadily which told me it had been used within the last hour or so. He also must have used some of my deodorant seeing as it was left uncapped on the sink ledge. I headed back out, instead by passing my bedroom and moving to the kitchen. He'd clearly had a bowl or two of cereal or something seeing as there was one drying on the rack that hadn't been there before. I nodded to myself sadly as i remembered that I did offer him breakfast; I never said anything about waking me up to have it together though did I? I couldn't remember. I checked my front door to find it still locked which meant he had left through a window, my bedroom window was the only one open. 

With a sigh and a strange pang of guilt in my chest, I ate a bowl of my own cereal and watched tv mindlessly whilst I munched. It felt so empty without his presence already. 

Eventually I went in to the police and spoke to DS Pyke. I told her my lead on the case and how Baby matched the description of Daniel but that i needed more evidence before being able to make a solid connection, deciding a good start would be to start up a search on 'Baby' through the local births and death registrations for the years 1990-2000. I cringed as I returned to my regular desk in the police offices, this would be where I would return if I failed to solve this case. I shook my head and returned to the task at hand, ignoring all the questions and weird looks my colleagues shot me from their own desks. I proceeded with the search of the registries and waited for the results. "As I thought!" I exclaimed, smacking both my hands down onto my keyboard with frustration. The words _No Matches For 'Baby'_ stretched out along the width of my computer screen. Baby was clearly just a pseudonym after all. No births, No Deaths, No Name changes either for a 'Baby' anywhere in England. 

I needed to return to the club and find him for more information 

But why did i have a strange feeling he wouldn't be there.


	9. Chapter Eight: Baby doesn’t want you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for the long wait!! I have just planned out the entire story board for this fic so the next chapters shouldn’t take as long to write now I know what exactly i’m Working towards. I hope you enjoy and i’m Sorry it’s so short. 
> 
> All my love
> 
> Dominic
> 
> alphalester.tumblr.com

I kept my head low, the darkness doing nothing to hide me as I ducked beneath the streetlights. It was exceptionally cold tonight, sending a shiver down my spine along with a sense of foreboding. Something was gonna happen tonight. 

I looked between the buildings nearby, all the windows masked with a thick black of death from being out of use for the night. I knew I should have headed to the club sooner but I needed to seem like I wasn’t obsessed with Baby, I didn’t want to be banned from the club after all. It was only when I glanced at my reflection in a shop window that I saw how dishevelled I looked, the thick black bags beneath my eyes looking like little purple bruises from my inability to sleep. I needed to link Baby to Daniel Howell. If I didn’t.. well then I may as well say goodbye to my career. 

When I reached the club, the beautiful woman was back beside the steps. She smiled earnestly when she saw me, clearly happy to see a familiar face no matter how brief the encounter. 

“Welcome back sweetheart” she gestured to the stairs to her left which led upstairs and winked. “I trust that you’ll find your way around just fine like the last few times” she added with a small chuckle. She felt human, not slimy and disgusting like the pimp that owns the club. I smiled a little at her, deciding to just ask her the question I wanted to know more than anything else. 

“Is Baby dancing tonight?” 

Her smile froze, shrinking quickly into a straight line, not smile not frown. It turned my stomach. She swallowed lightly as if trying to stop herself from telling the truth by gulping it down as gently as possible for me to not notice. She plastered on an obviously fake smile then, not quite reaching her eyes in a way which reminded me of a china doll.

“I’m afraid Baby has been booked up for a while, sir” her voice unsteady as she glanced at a diary that lay perched on the little desk she usually stood next to. With her eyes returning to mine she smiled once again. “However, I know Chris and Elliot are available for private dances tonight. They’re just as good-“ 

My stomach churned for the second time that evening. I knew it, Baby wasn’t going to be back was he? I needed to get a search warrant and pull this crappy place apart. I was running out of time. I needed to get in to the club. I needed to see that Baby was safe.  
“The thing is.. I kind of prefer to receive my dance from Baby.. so what if I came back tomorrow? Could I book him?” I tried to keep my disappointment minimal and the agitation out of my voice. 

“Okay.. I shouldn’t tell you this, but I know you’re a nice man and that you mean no harm but the truth is that Baby requested not to see you” she was lying, that much was obvious. Her brow was beginning to sweat and her eyes were trained on her fingernails away from my heavy gaze. I would have been offended if she’d at least acted better. “You can have another dancer though? He said you didn’t cause him any harm he just didn’t want to dance for you”. 

I wanted to laugh, that was a ridiculous excuse. Surely if any of their dancers requested to ‘not see’ a customer then they’d be banned from the establishment right? I bit down on my tongue to stop myself spouting that when I chuckled, covering myself a little bit.  
“I guess I did get a bit handsy, that’s okay. Can I choose a different dancer then? If I keep my hands to myself?”. 

The lady grinned, glancing once more to her diary before nodding. “Elliot would be a perfect dancer for you” gesturing to the stairs once more. “I’ll phone up to reserve a booth for you both”. I nodded and proceeded to take to the stairs. I needed to get i formation out of Elliot.. I just hoped he’d co-operate.


	10. Chapter Nine: Elliot

I sat down in the booth, the plush velvet seat cushioning me as I settled down and waited for my dancer. It only took a few moments before there was someone standing beside the entrance to the booth. He grinned at me, taking in my appearance and biting down on his lower lip. I recognised him immediately, he was the dancer who originally took my breath away, when I first came into the club. He clearly recognised me too. 

"Well well well" he smirked, moving to sit down beside me so close that our thighs were pressed together. I gazed at him. Hazel eyes half lidded with lust as he ran a hand through his already messy brown hair, I couldn't help but notice that he tugged a little at the strands which I had to admit made my throat go dry. I swallowed as lightly as I could to make it seem like he wasn't affecting me. "I'm so pleased to see you, I'm Elliot" he smirked, extending a hand towards me to shake. I took it, trying to will myself to relax and focus so I could do my job. I couldn't help but notice that the atmosphere was different tonight, the patrons all sounded a little less enthusiastic than they had the previous few times i'd been. I stored this information, intrigued as to why it felt so different in a place that usually felt intoxicating. I tried to focus on Elliot once more, he was wearing a shirt today- a white button up that was unbuttoned down to his collarbone that clung to him in all the right places. 

"Phil, wasn't it?" He grinned, moving to stand in front of me so close that his legs were pressed against my knees in the booth. He cupped my face with his large hands and tilted my head upwards to watch look at him. "You can touch me anywhere you like". Part of me wanted to reach forward and pull him onto my lap, but I had more important matters to attend to rather than my libido. 

"Are you sure? Baby couldn't handle it" I teased, trying to slip Baby into conversation so it didn't seem quite like I was obsessed with the guy. Elliot laughed, a light bell like sound that didn't seem right for the situation.  
"Aw Phil, I know that it wouldn't have been too much for Baby. He just doesn't dance anymore, I don't mind though. He said you were affectionate and let me tell you, that's rare in a place like this" His hand raked through my hair, tickling behind my ear softly as his fingers tangled in the short hair at the scruff of my neck. I hummed softly, part of me feeling relaxed to know Baby hadn't actually requested to not see me. It did make a little more sense as to why they'd keep me around.

Elliot was about to kiss me when something clicked in my mind. Baby was being used solely as a prostitute wasn't he? 'He just doesn't dance anymore'. I jumped up, startling the man in front of me and looking a little put out by the fact he didn't get what he was after. I just swallowed, glancing at my phone and rushing to the edge of the booth. "rain check?" was all I said, it earned me a little nod before I ran out of the building in the opposite direction to my apartment. I had a plan.


End file.
